Art Business

I can't believe I have not updated the blog since the big Studio Tour! Thanks to all of you who showed up in support of the event. I think this is one of the best local arts events. It is fun to tour the city, get a peek into people's homes and studio space. I am always amazed at how creative artists are to carve out some dedicated studio space in amongst their daily lives. I have a whole building I can stockpile supplies. And I just close the door when the mess gets to be too much and not invite anyone in. I guess that is the undisciplined part of my brain. I can walk away from the mess and deal with it another day. Some people are not as fortunate as I am in that regard.

For all of you who didn't make it out, here is a link to the Spotted pictures. I encourage you to click through them all...but here is a link for my pic...
http://spotted.lubbockonline.com/photos/index.php?id=3766258
and a link for a pic of my mom when she was able to escape to other venues...
http://spotted.lubbockonline.com/photos/index.php?id=3766493

 

 

This is the Save the Date section of my message

5th Friday in Slaton

November 30, 2012

Multiplicity Gallery

(just down from the Bakery)

157 S 9th Street

Slaton, Texas 79364

6 - 9 pm

I am working with the gallery owner, Carol, on getting some workshops and/or classes going for 2013. Stayed tuned for more details. So all you peeps who asked for it, now is the time to let me know what you want to learn! Let's work together to make some fun classes!

First Friday Art Trail

December 7, 2012

GlassyAlley

1940 Texas Ave.

Lubbock, TX

6 - 9 pm

This is the gallery I displayed at for the Studio Tour. Pauline invited me to stay for the month of December. I changed things up so it looks like a totally different display. There should be food, wine, and live music! I know we are going to pack the house out with totally awesome art so stop by to see something new!

DownTown Art Market

Saturday

December 8, 2012

Tornado Gallery

1840  Buddy Holley Ave.

Lubbock, Texas

9 am - 3 pm

I have not done DAM this whole year! I can't believe I have missed out. So I thought I would end the year with a comfortable old friend. This is an indoor/outdoor event and I reserve the right to chicken out if it is too cold or too windy. Wind being the bigger possibility this season.

I will be displaying in the Llano Estacado Clay Guild annual membership Show. It will be at the Lousie Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts (LHUCA) December 5 - 31. I think I will bring my Tuscan Poppies and maybe a few little other treats.

That was a lot to take in, but I had a lot of time to make up for.

36 hours...

until the doors open at GlassyAlley for Studio Tour!

My display is set and ready to go. I forgot my camera today so there is no preview peek at my space. But it looks really good and I am happy with the results. Now the space just needs to be filled with friends and family, new and old acquaintances. We will have food and wine and plenty of chat and laugh. I am looking to next year already and think I will not display again until June. So this may be the last time to see the jewelry and art of Barbra J. Beller for a long time.

Since there is no sneak of the completed space, here is a peek at my monsterpiece. This is just a 3"x5" look at a 30x40 canvas.

Tuscan Poppies 30x40

I have not touched a canvas is quite a while. In fact, I did a clean out of my new canvas stock and sold all the large (bigger than 16x20) canvases I had. I got tired of hauling framed paintings hither and yon to just drag them home again. So in a fit of frustration and trying to gain some focus, out went the canvases. But at times I just have a burning need to slap some paint on cloth or swirl my paintbrush through pigment. I found this oversized canvas that just needed to be rescued. I had a flash of inspiration when I saw it and could not get it home to the studio fast enough. When I bought it, the cashier kind of looked at me like I was crazy. I handed her my business card and told her to come see what the canvas looked like when I was done with it. She would not even recognize it. I don't even recognize it. So Linda, come see what craziness I did with the monster canvas!

Hope to see you at:

GlassyAlley

1940 Texas Ave.

Lubbock, Texas

Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm

Sunday, noon to 6 pm



Two days Left

Brag Wall

This has been a topic of conversation lately. I went on a tour of a spectacular house in Amarillo, Texas. There was a wall of pictures and accomplishments of the past home owner. The tour guide said that the home owner was a modest woman and did not do this wall. It was done by someone else "because you just cannot do your own brag wall". I personally didn't agree with that thought. Just think of any professional's office you have seen. There is a wall of diplomas or pictures with special (famous) people.

When I was a kid, my mother made a scrapbook that included all my "accomplishments" and awards. There is a picture of me from the local newspaper. My old report cards, music programs, and contest critiques are all there. It is a walk through my childhood when I look at it. But at some point, it just ends.

At a recent event, one of the vendors came by to show me a full page write up about her business in a magazine. I was so excited for her and her business. I told her she needed to display it in her booth. She said she was having a hard time with that because she didn't want people to think she was bragging. I told her I would brag for her and promptly went to her booth to make sure the article was properly displayed. Why go to all the trouble to work hard and then not accept the accolades when they come. I don't have a doctorate. I didn't finish my bachelors degree. But I did complete an associates degree in studio art. It is framed in my office. I was on the front page of the paper several years ago. That is hanging on my bulletin board. My mom may not keep a scrapbook of my accomplishments since I became an adult, but I am. It is just a grown up version.

In getting ready for the Local Color Studio Tour this weekend, there have been many advertisements for the event. In today's paper there was an ad, and my necklace was featured in the ad.  I received an email congratulating me on my jewelry being in the paper. I ran down the street to get my own copy.  It is going on my brag wall.

 So for all of you that missed it, here is the necklace that was featured in the Local Color Studio Tour adverstisement in Wednesday's Lubbock Avalance Journal.

Hump Day

Yesterday was a very successful day in the studio. Today the car will be packed and final decisions will be made.

There is no turning back now.

Enjoy your day!

4 Days and Counting...

I will be in the studio today but I feel the need to escape and run some errands, too. Preview first, work next, play later.

The top picture is of a resin piece I did. I used a large button as the bezel cup. The setting is made from recycled tin. I suspended it on a scarf. I wore this to test it out and got a lot of comments. The bottom piece is a small soldered window. The is an image on both sides.

5 Days to Go

I was in the studio most of the day. I have a very large canvas I'm getting ready for the show this weekend. I have the perfect space to hang it in my corner of GlassyAlley Gallery Studio. But I have had to take some time to do a little repair because I was stupid and left it laying on the floor of my studio. I have a four-footed visit who decided it was a good launch pad to jump up onto the bed. My bad. It is coming along and should be done by tomorrow. Which will be a good thing because I have a pile of metal that needs some attention before this weekend.

The list seems endless but the energy is not. I just keep putting one foot in front of the other until there is no time left.

Not much of a peek today since this picture is also on the Lubbock Art Alliance website.

This is a small copper and brass brooch framed. I will have a small selection of metal pins available for sale.

 

Local Color Studio Tour

Saturday, November 10

10 am to 6 pm

Sunday, November 11

noon to 6 pm

 

GlassyAlley

1940 Texas Ave.

Lubbock, Texas

Hanging Day

Today we got to see where we would be displaying and started the process of hanging artwork. Well, everyone else got all their work hung and ready to go. As usual, I only got most of the work hung. I will go back later this week to do my jewelry display. Here is a peek at my corner before.

I may include a picture of the after later in the week. GlassyAlley is a awesome space and I can't wait to see it completely full of our work. What I saw today was exciting! It also made me want to go home and get to work to complete my space with super awesome art.

Hope to see you there!!

Saturday, November 10 10 am - 6 pm

Sunday, November 11 noon to 6 pm

Peek Day 3

I have to confess...I did no work in the studio yesterday. Bad artist.

Hopefully today will be a better creative day.

Here is another look at what will be on display and available for sale at the Lubbock Art Alliance Local Color Studio Tour.

I have a whole selection of earrings from very short and delicate to long and dangley. I use natural materials including paper, rocks, and stones. Sometimes I know the names of the rocks and stones and sometimes I am stumped. 

You can have the above pictured earrings for $30 shipped directly to you. If you are local, I will hand deliver.

Don't forget to mark you calendars!

November 10 and 11, 2012

Day 2

Working in the studio today so I will just leave a picture.

Lino print on hand-crafted cotton linter paper. It is 8 1/2 x 11.

 

I saw a show about ravens on PBS and learned they play in the snow. I knew I just had to do a print of a raven rolling down a hill on crisp, snowy white paper. I have also printed this on t-shirts. I may still have a few left...if anyone is interested! 

Sneak Peek!

The CountDown Is On!

Local Color Studio Tour is now just nine days away. We are already making plans for set up at the Gallery. So I promised some peeks at what I have been working on for this year's event. We are just days away and what have I been doing??? Experimenting!! Now is not the time to try new things. Now is the time to be pricing and packing what I have been creating this year. But nnoooo...I have to be running from store to store looking for the elusive supply to make it work. I have a huge canvas in the process of being done. It needs to be hung on Sunday. I don't know if it will make it. The idea in my head is really good. The layout on the canvas is a little different. There is no telling what will finally end up on the canvas and if it makes it to the wall.
So enough chatter...

I have been experimenting with adding a check out button and I think I made it work! If you would like to purchase this necklace, it is $40 and that includes shipping, handling, sales tax, and a smile. This button should take you to PayPal to check out. You can leave your shipping address in the comment box. If you are local, I can deliver it to you personally. Hopefully the next buy it now button will have the price and/or description included.

This is part of my upcycled, reclaimed collection. In this lot of treasures, I have this sparkly frog, a bluebird, and a bee. My mother has already claimed one of the bluebirds. I have been wearing one of the bees. I had to put the frog into my stock box before it got snatched up by someone else!

I love to find little treasures and add some different elements to it and make it new again. My treasure collection comes from all over. When I went to NYC, my traveling companion noticed I was picking up stuff from the street. When she realized I love to find stuff and make it into jewelry, the hunt was on! We found trinkets on the street, on the bus, where ever people dropped cool little bits.

Stay tuned to tomorrow for another peek!

 

GlassyAlley

1940 Texas Ave.

Lubbock, Texas

 

November 10 & 11, 2012